Gene Hackman’s wife Betsy Arakawa died from rodent-born hantavirus one week before the actor ultimately died from cardiovascular disease with advanced Alzheimer’s, according to the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator.
OMI chief medical investigator Dr. Heather Jarrell and Santa Fe County Sheriff Adan Mendoza shared the autopsy results in a press conference on Friday, confirming that both individuals died naturally in their New Mexico home before they were found on Feb. 26.
“It is reasonable to conclude that Mr. Hackman probably died around Feb. 18. Based on the circumstances, it is reasonable to conclude that Mrs. Hackman passed away first, with Feb. 11 being the last time that she was known to be alive,” Dr. Jarrell said. “There is no reliable scientific method to accurately determine the exact time or date of death.”
“I would assume that that is the case, given his Alzheimer’s status, that Mr. Hackman was able to live on his own and survive,” Mendoza then explained of the week difference in their given times of death.
Dr. Jarrell further noted that the CDC is aware of Arakawa’s hantavirus diagnosis and added that dogs cannot get sick from the virus carried by deer mice, which is transmitted from animals to humans. Officials did say that their late dog Zinna was taken to a local veterinary hospital on Feb. 9 for surgery, perhaps explaining why the pet was found crated in their bathroom.
New Mexico Department of Health chief veterinarian Dr. Erin Phipps also provided specifics about the hantavirus pulmonary syndrome that killed Arakawa, who likely brushed off her illness due to its flu-like symptoms: “Hantavirus can be transmitted to people through rodent urine, droppings or saliva, so it is important to take special steps when cleaning up after rodents. Avoiding contact with or breathing in aerosolized rodent urine or feces, especially in a poorly ventilated area, is key.”
Hackman, meanwhile, tested negative for the hantavirus. His official cause of death was listed as hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease with Alzheimer’s disease as a significant contributory factor.
This update comes one week after the previous related press conference, where Mendoza announced that Hackman’s pacemaker revealed his “last event” occurred on Feb. 17, nine days before his and Arakawa’s bodies were eventually found. News of their deaths then broke a day later on Feb. 27.
“Both individuals tested negative for carbon monoxide. An initial interrogation was conducted of Mr. Hackman’s pacemaker. This revealed that his last event was recorded on Feb. 17, 2025,” the Sheriff said last week, citing the pathologist from the New Mexico Office of the Medical Investigator. “Initial findings noted no external trauma to either individual.”
“Collected from the residence from the search warrant, there were two green in color cell phones, two bottles of medication, one bottle of over-the-counter Tylenol, My Request medical records and a 2025 monthly planner calendar,” he added. “Those items were secured from the residence for evidentiary purposes.”
Earlier this week, the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office and City Fire Department further reiterated that carbon monoxide poisoning is not believed to be a factor in their deaths, despite a minuscule, non-lethal gas leak found on a stove burner. Authorities also told the AP they incorrectly identified the breed of the dog that was found near Arakawa’s body as a German shepherd when it was actually a kelpie mix.
“On Feb. 26, at approximately 1:45 p.m., Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to an address on Old Sunset Trail in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where Gene Hackman, 95, and his wife Betsy Arakawa, 64, and a dog were found deceased. The bodies of Mr. Hackman and his wife were located in separate rooms,” Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office media coordinator Denise Womack-Avila initially told TheWrap in a Feb. 27 statement. “Foul play is not currently suspected as a factor in those deaths. Cause of death will be determined by the Office of the Medical Investigator.” Officials ultimately updated Arakawa’s age upon her death to 65.
Per the search warrant affidavit, detectives initially located the bodies with signs of decomposition and “mummification in both hands and feet,” though there were no observable wounds otherwise. There were also scattered prescription pills found on a bathroom counter near Arakawa’s body, while Hackman was found dead in the mudroom.
Additionally, Hackman’s daughters and granddaughter told TheWrap, “It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy. He was loved and admired by millions around the world for his brilliant acting career, but to us he was always just Dad and Grandpa. We will miss him sorely and are devastated by the loss.”
The two-time Oscar winner, his pianist wife of 34 years and one of their dogs were found dead after a home maintenance worker called in a welfare check. Two other dogs were found alive on the property. Despite the unusual circumstances surrounding the couple’s passing, foul play has never been suspected.
The post Gene Hackman Cause of Death: Actor Died of Heart Disease and Alzheimer’s One Week After Wife Succumbed to Hantavirus appeared first on TheWrap.